KATHMANDU, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Nepal's paddy production decreased by 8.74 percent to 5.13 million tons in 2021, a five-year low, mainly due to damage caused by unseasonal rains in October, the country's Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development said on Sunday.
Paddy production was 5.15 million tons, 5.61 million tons, 5.55 million tons and 5.62 million tons in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively, all higher than the output in 2021, according to the ministry.
The fall came despite a rise in areas cultivated for paddy, and paddy productivity in the South Asian country declined by 8.61 percent to 3.47 tons per hectare, a four-year low, the ministry said.
Rice paddy was cultivated in 1,477,378 hectares of land in Nepal in 2021, about 4,000 hectares more than the previous year.
Unseasonal rains in October inundated paddy fields at a time when they were ready for harvest and caused massive losses in the provinces of Lumbini and Sudurpaschim in particular, which contributed to a downfall in overall paddy production in 2021, the ministry said in a press statement.
Ram Krishna Regmi, chief statistician at the ministry, told Xinhua that the untimely rainfalls were the biggest reason behind falling paddy production, and less paddy production could affect the country's food security given that most people in the country prefer rice.
"We may have to increase the import of rice," he said.
Paddy production matters to Nepal as it contributes around 50 percent to total cereal production in the country, while its agricultural sector accounts for some 26 percent of gross domestic product, according to government agencies. Enditem